AP European History
PRACTICE EXAM 1
Section 1
TIME:
55 minutes
80 questions
DIRECTIONS: Each
of
the
questions
or
incomplete
statements
below
is
followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select
the
one
that
is
best in each case.
1.
Renaissance Humanism was a threat to the Church because it
2.
3.
4.
(A)
espoused atheism
(B)
denounced scholasticism
(C)
denounced neo-Platonism
(D)
emphasized a return to the original sources of Christianity
(E)
advanced an amoral philosophy
Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam was the author of
(A)
The Praise of Folly
(B)
The Birth of Venus
(C)
Utopia
(D)
The Prince
(E)
Don Quixote
All of the following are characteristics of Northern Humanism EXCEPT:
(A)
It insisted on the need for a scripture in the vernacular.
(B)
It believed that medieval Latin was inferior to ancient Latin.
(C)
It embraced Christian principles more than pagan themes.
(D)
It was very supportive of the Protestant Reformation.
(E)
It carried on scholarship in ancient languages to purify texts.
During the Reformation, Anabaptism drew its membership mostly from the ranks of the
(A)
nobility
(D)
businessmen
(B)
middle class
(E)
army officers
(C)
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
peasants
The Colloquy of Marburg in 1529
(A)
was an attempt by the Catholic Church to combat the Protestant heresy
(B)
was a meeting where Luther was outlawed throughout the Empire
(C)
was a debate between Luther and Zwingli that resulted in a formal split within Protestantism
(D)
was an attempt by Charles V to reconcile Luther to the Catholic Church
(E)
resulted in the fall of Thomas Wolsey as Lord Chancellor of England
English Puritanism developed during the reign of Elizabeth I
(A)
in reaction to the failure of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement to implement the reforms of the Council
of Trent
(B)
because of Elizabeth I’s intention to extend Protestant sentiment throughout the realm
(C)
because of dissatisfaction with the scope and breadth of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement among
those influenced by Calvinist views
(D)
as a direct reaction to the Jesuit Mission led by Edmund Campion
(E)
to reassert the hierarchical and ceremonial forms of Henry’s era
The response of the Catholic Church to the Reformation was delayed because
(A)
the Papacy feared the remnants of the Conciliar Movement
(B)
Rome wanted to coordinate its policy with secular Catholic leaders
(C)
church leaders thought that the opposition would self-destruct
(D)
the situation did not appear to be urgent from the Roman perspective
(E)
the Church did not possess the money needed to confront Protestantism
The Catholic Counter-Reformation included all of the following EXCEPT
(A)
the Index of Prohibited Books
(B)
the Council of Trent
(C)
a more assertive Papacy
(D)
the establishment of new religious orders
(E)
a willingness to negotiate nondoctrinal issues with reformers
The Petition of Right (1628–1629)
(A)
was an attempt by James I to secure additional tax revenues through the Parliament
(B)
resulted in Parliament voting to execute the Duke of Buckingham
(C)
addressed a range of Parliamentary grievances even as it set the stage for new sources of revenue
requested by Charles I
(D)
denounced the radical religious policies of Charles I’s government
(E)
was approved by the Addled Parliament
René Descartes has been credited with all of the following EXCEPT
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
(A)
being
the
geometry
first
to
publish
the
discovery
of
coordinate
or
(B)
developing the science of optics through the laws of refraction of light
(C)
establishing as his famous philosophic starting place: “cogito ergo sum”—I think, therefore I am
(D)
holding that the concept of God was unnecessary in his concept of the universe
(E)
developing a philosophical Dualism that links the physical and spiritual worlds
analytical
Henry IV gave Huguenots the right to practice their religion through
(A)
the Edict of Potsdam
(B)
the Edict of Fontainebleau
(C)
the Edict of Nantes
(D)
an agreement with the Papacy
(E)
the Peace of Amiens
Which of these thinkers is identified most closely with the following statement? “Renounce notions, and begin
to form an acquaintance with things.”
(A)
Galileo
(D)
Spinoza
(B)
Bacon
(E)
Boyle
(C)
Descartes
For several decades during the late seventeenth century, Austria fought on two fronts against which two
countries?
(A)
Italy and Prussia
(B)
England and Russia
(C)
France and Ottoman Turkey
(D)
Prussia and Ottoman Turkey
(E)
France and Italy
The Fronde was directed primarily against
(A)
the power of French landlords
(B)
the authority of the absolute monarchy
(C)
the influence of the nobility
(D)
the wealth of the church
(E)
the poverty of the peasants
The Peace of Utrecht
(A)
resulted in the political and economic collapse of France
(B)
elevated England to the status of greatest European power
(C)
terminated the Wars of Louis XIV and restored peace to Europe
(D)
transferred Canada to England
(E)
resulted in the unification of Germany
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
A moderate proposal that called on France to adopt a political system similar to Great Britain was an element
espoused by Montesquieu in
(A)
The Social Contract
(B)
The Spirit of the Laws
(C)
The Encyclopedia
(D)
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
(E)
Two Treatises on Civil Government
John Calvin’s theology can be considered most similar to the political philosophy of which of the following?
(A)
Rousseau
(D)
Montesquieu
(B)
Condorcet
(E)
Locke
(C)
Hobbes
An economic philosophy identified with “bullionism” and the need to maintain a favorable balance of trade was
(A)
Utopian Socialism
(B)
Marxism
(C)
Capitalism
(D)
Syndicalism
(E)
Mercantilism
The liberum veto
(A)
was a critical element in the evolution of the British Parliament
(B)
was pronounced by Louis XIV as a monarchical right
(C)
restricted the national and political development of Poland
(D)
demonstrated the extent of Peter the Great’s Westernization
(E)
gained the support of the Vatican after the failure of Mazzini’s Roman Republic
“…there is no place for industry… no arts; no letters; no society; and which is the worst of all, continual fear,
and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” This quotation from
Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan (1651) describes the concept known as
(A)
natural rights
(B)
state of nature
(C)
social contract
(D)
reason of state (raison d’état)
(E)
nationalism
In Emile, Rousseau
(A)
advanced his views on the Social Contract
(B)
called
for
a
“natural”
education
imposed by institutions such as the Church
(C)
denounced Voltaire for his pedantic and unproductive lifestyle
free
of
the
artificial
encumbrances
22.
23.
(D)
shared Montesquieu’s idealization of England’s constitutional monarchy as a model for a future French
government
(E)
advanced his case for atheism
“Men are born, and always continue free and equal in respect of their rights. Civil distinctions, therefore, can
be founded only on public utility.” In 1789 these statements were part of
(A)
the U.S. Bill of Rights
(B)
the Constitution of the Year III
(C)
the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
(D)
Quesnay’s statement of physiocracy
(E)
What Is the Third Estate? by the Abbé Sieyès
The drawing above represents
(A)
the “Leyden Jar”
(B)
the Gray experiment showing that electricity can be conducted by means of threads
(C)
the “Phlogiston” theory
24.
(D)
Lavoisier’s Apparatus for the Decomposition of Air
(E)
Franklin’s device for the processing of alcohol
The following picture is of
(A)
Arkwright’s water frame
(B)
the spinning jenny invented by Hargreaves
(C)
Whitney’s cotton gin
(D)
Watt’s silk-making machine
(E)
Franklin’s paper-making machine
25.
26.
27.
28.
English Utilitarianism was identified with the phrase
(A)
all power to the people
(B)
from each according to his labor, to each according to his need
(C)
universal reason
(D)
the greatest good for the greatest number
(E)
collectivist nationalism
“Do you not hear them repeating unceasingly that all that is above them is incapable and unworthy of
governing them; that the present distribution of good throughout the world is unjust; that property rests on a
foundation which is not an equitable foundation? … I believe that we are at this moment sleeping on a
volcano.’’ Alexis de Tocqueville made these remarks to
(A)
the American Senate in 1838
(B)
the French Chamber of Deputies in 1848
(C)
the court of Napoleon III before the Franco-Prussian War
(D)
the Chamber of Peers in the Third French Republic in 1875
(E)
the court martial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus in 1894
The achievements of the Jacobins included all of the following EXCEPT
(A)
the abolition of slavery
(B)
the franchise given to all adult males
(C)
the adoption of the metric system
(D)
decreeing the law of the maximum—fixed prices on essentials and raised wages
(E)
the redistribution of all land among the peasants
The following map indicates the thesis advanced by H. Mackinder in 1904 that
29.
(A)
the continental part of Eurasia forms the world’s heartland and constitutes a potential threat for sea
powers
(B)
only a combined Anglo-American-Russian alliance could prevent German world domination
(C)
the theory advanced by Alfred Mahan in The Influence of Sea Power Upon History was correct
(D)
sea powers must dominate land powers through containment
(E)
the Southern Hemisphere is as significant as the Northern Hemisphere
The drawing shown below by Karl Arnold appeared in Simplicissimus (July, 1924) and was entitled Neue
Typen: Der Rassemensch—New Types: The Racial Man or The Man of Breeding. It was a critical comment on
(A)
the Prussian Junkers who condemned the Versailles Treaty
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
(B)
the anti-Semites who supported Hitler and the emerging Nazi Party
(C)
German capitalism
(D)
German social decadence
(E)
the ineptitude of the Social Democratic Party
The
notion
that
“civilization
was
not
the
product
of
an
elite… but the genuine culture of the common people, the Volk” was advanced by
(A)
René de Chateaubriand in The Genius of Christianity
(B)
Georg Wilhelm Hegel in Reason in History
(C)
Giuseppe Verdi in Don Carlo
(D)
William Wordsworth in Lyrical Ballads
(E)
Johann Gottfried Herder in Ideas for a Philosophy of Human History
artificial,
The Reform Bills of 1832, 1867, and 1884–1885 in Great Britain
(A)
eliminated child labor abuses in the textile industry
(B)
eliminated the power of the House of Lords
(C)
alleviated the most drastic problems confronting the Irish
(D)
extended the franchise and redistributed seats in Parliament
(E)
gave the vote to all adults over age 21
The Dual Alliance of 1879 may be described as all of the following EXCEPT
(A)
a defensive pact between Germany and Austria
(B)
a move, from the German perspective, directed at the diplomatic isolation of France
(C)
a move, from the Austrian perspective, directed at Italian encroachment in the Balkans
(D)
a long-term alliance renewed through the World War I
(E)
a move to address German concerns over growing anti-German sentiment in Russia
During the era of the French Revolution, the Thermidorian Reaction
(A)
initiated the Reign of Terror
(B)
resulted in the dissolution of the National Assembly
(C)
terminated the Reign of Terror after the execution of Robespierre
(D)
was the direct cause of the rise of Napoleon
(E)
witnessed the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
The era of the Napoleonic Wars was concluded by the
(A)
Peace of Utrecht
(B)
Congress of Berlin
(C)
Peace of Westphalia
(D)
Congress of Vienna
(E)
Peace of Paris
Charles Fourier, Robert Owen, and Claude de Saint-Simon may be called
international
36.
(A)
anarchists
(B)
Liberals
(C)
advocates of capitalism
(D)
pre-Marxist socialists
(E)
revisionists
The July Revolution in France resulted in the
(A)
development of democracy in France
(B)
installation of Louis Philippe as king
(C)
presidency of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte
(D)
establishment of a republican form of government
(E)
withdrawal of Prussian troops
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
The preceding map indicates locations of European revolutions during what year?
(A)
1820
(B)
1830
(C)
1848
(D)
1919
(E)
1825
The Frankfurt Assembly was
(A)
a Pan-German assembly interested in the formulation of an integrated union of German states
(B)
Bismarck’s instrument to bring about a Prussian-dominated Germany
(C)
a group of German representatives who were concerned primarily with economic issues
(D)
an Austrian effort to obstruct Bismarck’s plan for German unification
(E)
a group dedicated to the grossdeutsch plan
The
failure of
factors EXCEPT
the
Revolutions
of
1848
may
be
attributed
to
all
the
following
(A)
the continuing loyalty of the armed forces to the old leadership
(B)
the cunning of the old leadership in manipulating revolutionary forces
(C)
the lack of effective organization among nationalist revolutionaries across national boundaries
(D)
the failure of liberal revolutionaries to address social and economic needs
(E)
the rejection of liberal reforms by radical workers in the West because those reforms ignored social and
economic considerations
The
industrial
economy
following EXCEPT
of
the
nineteenth
(A)
the availability of raw materials
(B)
an adequate labor supply
(C)
the availability of capital
(D)
a system to distribute finished products to market
(E)
an
equitable
production
distribution
of
profits
century
was
among
all
based
who
upon
were
all
of
the
involved
in
Which one of the following would most likely oppose laissez-faire policies in nineteenth-century Europe?
(A)
Factory owner
(B)
Liberal
(C)
Free trader
(D)
Socialist
(E)
Middle-class businessman
42.
43.
44.
45.
According to the graph shown below, which was the most urbanized part of Europe in the nineteenth century?
(A)
Eastern Europe
(B)
Prussia
(C)
France
(D)
Central Europe
(E)
The British Isles
“Anxiety, or the idea of anxiety, permeates modern thought in all its aspects. You find it almost everywhere you
look: in Freudian psychology, in the philosophy of existentialism, in poetry and the novel, in the language of
religion…and…of course, in contemporary political movements.”
This passage is an example of writing in
(A)
intellectual history
(B)
social history
(C)
economic history
(D)
diplomatic history
(E)
political history
“The greatest good for the greatest number” was a belief of
(A)
Marx
(B)
Bentham
(C)
Nietzsche
(D)
Freud
(E)
de Maistre
Which one of the following was true about the European middle class in the nineteenth century?
(A)
Its political influence decreased throughout the century.
(B)
It was most sizable in Russia.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
(C)
It called for government aid to business.
(D)
It held great wealth in the form of land.
(E)
It espoused liberalism.
Which author advanced the argument that anarchism would be achieved through education and without
violence in What Is Property?
(A)
William Godwin
(B)
Mikhail Bakunin
(C)
Georges Sorel
(D)
Pierre Proudhon
(E)
Charles Fourier
The Revisionist Marxist movement
(A)
failed to gain a following during the late nineteenth century
(B)
supported the Marxist concept of revolution but differed with numerous other Marxist prescriptions
(C)
encompassed the Fabian Society, the Social Democratic Party in Germany, and the French Socialist
movement led by Jean Jaurès
(D)
was the base upon which Lenin developed his support for the deployment of Communism in Russia
(E)
never attracted much support except in China and Vietnam
The New Economic Plan (NEP) was
(A)
Lenin’s plan to revitalize the Russian economy after Russia’s Civil War
(B)
a scheme developed by Trotsky to enhance his control over the Communist Party organization through
economic concessions
(C)
Gorbachev’s 1989 plan for the restructuring of the Russian economy
(D)
Nicholas II’s last attempt to recover political support through economic concessions
(E)
the name given to Stalin’s first economic plan, which emphasized collective farming and improvements
in heavy industry
The 1878 Congress of Berlin resulted in all of the following EXCEPT
(A)
the recognition of Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro as independent
(B)
the realization of Russian war aims at the expense of the Turks
(C)
the transfer of Cyprus from the Ottoman Empire to Great Britain
(D)
the establishment of the autonomous principality of Bulgaria
(E)
Austrian military occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Czar Alexander II of Russia (1855–1881)
(A)
established zemstvos—assemblies that allowed nobles to retain control over rural politics, but also
introduced social services there
(B)
liberated the serfs, which improved their political, social, and economic well-being
(C)
made no effort to reform the Russian judicial system
(D)
overhauled the military with sweeping reforms limiting its powers
(E)
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
was motivated to reform Russian society not out of fear, but because of his genuine desire to improve
the condition of all of his people
The failure of Wilhelm II’s government to continue the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia
(A)
led Russia to adopt a position of “splendid isolationism”
(B)
eventually led to the isolation of Germany
(C)
resulted in the Austrian-Russian Entente of 1894
(D)
caused Russia to undertake a massive naval building program
(E)
led Russia to support the establishment of Poland as a buffer state
The Russian Revolution of 1905
(A)
resulted in the abdication of the Czar
(B)
was immediately suppressed by Nicholas II
(C)
led to the removal of the Orthodox Church from politics in Russia
(D)
was the primary cause for Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War
(E)
led
Nicholas
II
to
issue
the
October
Manifesto,
advisory representative assembly (the Duma) to be formed
which
called
for
an
Oscar Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray and Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice
(A)
are examples of the Romanticism that dominated literature at the turn of the twentieth century
(B)
embodied a new symbolist direction in literature that addressed previously ignored themes
(C)
emphasized a new sense of realism in literature
(D)
were representative of a literary movement known as expressionism
(E)
were not well received by the intellectuals of the era
All
of
the
following
accurate EXCEPT:
statements
concerning
the
Third
French
Republic
(A)
The Dreyfus Affair, Panama Scandal, and Boulanger Crisis were serious threats to its continuance.
(B)
The Third Republic was established in the midst of French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War.
(C)
It was threatened upon its creation by the Paris Commune.
(D)
It established a Constitution in 1875 that provided for a republican form of government.
(E)
It supported an extension of the power of the Catholic Church in French society.
are
The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885
(A)
specified that Britain would have control over the Niger and Congo rivers
(B)
established the principle that an imperial claim had to be supported by effective control over the interior
(C)
specified that the Congo would be under Portuguese control
(D)
supported the dream of Cecil Rhodes for a Cape-to-Cairo railroad under British control
(E)
established Italian authority in Libya
Bismarck’s Kulturkampf
(A)
consisted of a series of measures intended to eliminate the impact of Marxism in German politics
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
(B)
was a series of anti-Catholic laws directed at curtailing the influence of the Center Party
(C)
was his diplomatic strategy to maintain the diplomatic isolation of France
(D)
was intended to disrupt the progress of the Social Democratic Party
(E)
was denounced by Pope Pius X
The Parliament Act of 1911 included all of the following provisions EXCEPT that the
(A)
life span of Parliament was reduced from seven to five years
(B)
revenue bills approved by the House of Commons automatically became law after being sent to the
House of Lords
(C)
House of Lords had no veto power over revenue bills
(D)
House of Lords could effectively veto nonrevenue bills
(E)
House of Lords could only delay enactment of nonrevenue bills
The expansion of “division of labor” and “mass production” through the development of standard parts and
manufacturing was stimulated by
(A)
the institution of bank credit
(B)
the factory system
(C)
competition
(D)
economic imperialism
(E)
political rivalries
Who was the dominant personality at the Congress of Vienna?
(A)
Metternich
(B)
Bismarck
(C)
Alexander I
(D)
Talleyrand
(E)
Wellington
In 1829, the Ottoman Turks were forced to accept the Treaty of Adrianople, which
(A)
recognized the independence of Bulgaria
(B)
recognized the independence of Greece
(C)
granted Christians access to the Holy Places in Palestine
(D)
permitted Russia to have access to the Mediterranean
(E)
recognized the independence of Serbia
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
(A)
concluded hostilities between Great Britain and Turkey
(B)
ended the war between the Allies and Hungary
(C)
concluded hostilities between the Allies and Bulgaria
(D)
was a humiliating agreement that the Russians signed with Germany
(E)
concluded the war between the Allies and the Ottoman Empire
62.
The following chart indicates that
(A)
Nations with large populations were better able to respond to the impact of the Depression than nations
with smaller populations.
(B)
Advanced industrial societies had lower rates of unemployment during this period.
(C)
The postwar economies in Central and Eastern Europe were fragile and subject to rapid deterioration
during an economic collapse.
(D)
Sweden and the United Kingdom had the strongest economic systems in the world.
(E)
63.
64.
Nations with small populations were better able to respond to the impact of the Depression than nations
with larger populations.
Which of the following is NOT true of Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531)?
(A)
He taught that it is not necessary to fast during Lent.
(B)
He banned the use of religious images in churches.
(C)
He agreed with Martin Luther on the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper.
(D)
He died at a battle between Catholic and Protestant forces.
(E)
He abolished monasteries.
What does the following cartoon refer to?
(A)
The continuing cooperation between Hitler and Stalin during the 1930s
(B)
The contradictions inherent in the Russo-German Non-Aggression Pact
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
(C)
The delight shared by Stalin and Hitler
(D)
The defeat of Czechoslovakia
(E)
The defeat of Finland
The Glorious Revolution of 1688–1889 resulted in all of the following EXCEPT
(A)
the flight and abdication of James II
(B)
the passage of the Bill of Rights
(C)
the elevation of William III and Mary II to the throne
(D)
specification that all future monarchs must be members of the Church of England
(E)
an agreement that, in the event of no heirs, the house of Hanover would succeed the Stuarts
The text of Denis Diderot’s Encyclopédie was centered primarily on
(A)
theology
(D)
philosophy
(B)
technology
(E)
poetry
(C)
history
In the following poem, the Hungarian-Swiss Tzara provides a sample of which twentieth-century literary
movement?
“The aeroplane weaves telegraph wires
and the fountain sings the same song,…
At the rendez-vous of the coachmen the aperitif is orange
but the locomotive mechanics have blue eyes.
The lady has lost her smile in the woods.”
(A)
Symbolism
(D)
Dadaism
(B)
Expressionism
(E)
Idealism
(C)
Deconstructionism
The driving force behind Hegel’s dialectic was
(A)
nationalism
(D)
materialism
(B)
racial superiority
(E)
religious values
(C)
universal reason
After 1950 the Soviet Union suppressed movements toward more liberal governments in all of the following
European countries EXCEPT
(A)
East Germany
(D)
Yugoslavia
(B)
Poland
(E)
Hungary
(C)
Czechoslovakia
Friedrich Nietzsche advanced his philosophy in which works?
(A)
Thus Spake Zarathustra and The Will to Power
(B)
The Golden Bough and The Wild Duck
(C)
The Return of the Native and Jude the Obscure
(D)
Civilization and Its Discontents and The Riddle of the Universe
(E)
The Descent of Man and The Weavers
Art © The Educational Alliance, Inc. / Estate of Peter Blume/
Licensed by VAGA, Inc., New York, NY
71.
72.
In
the
preceding
Peter Blume (1937),
painting
entitled
The
Eternal
City
by
the
American
painter
(A)
fascist Italy is dominated by the personality of Mussolini
(B)
fascism in Italy appears to have improved the general condition of the people
(C)
Mussolini emerges as a benevolent dictator who was genuinely concerned with the condition of the
people
(D)
there is a sympathetic rendering of the impact of fascism on Italian life and institutions
(E)
one can see his account of the March on Rome in 1922
During the “June Days” in Paris (1848),
73.
74.
75.
(A)
conservative monarchists were overwhelmed by the mob
(B)
the forces led by Louis Blanc prevailed
(C)
the army suppressed the radical revolutionary element
(D)
Louis Napoleon came to power
(E)
Lamartine was recognized as the leader of the revolution
In
an
effort
created the
to
conduct
(A)
Bank of France
(B)
Confederation of the Rhine
(C)
Continental System
(D)
Napoleonic Code
(E)
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
a
successful
economic
war
against
Britain,
Napoleon
The 1909 budget proposed by Lloyd George advocated
(A)
progressive income and inheritance taxes
(B)
an end to all property taxes
(C)
drastic reductions in funding for domestic programs
(D)
drastic reductions in expenditures for weaponry
(E)
a redistribution of excessive tax revenues
In the painting shown below, Guernica (1937) by Pablo Picasso, the artist rendered his interpretation of
©2007 Estate of Pablo Picasso/
Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY
(A)
the chaos caused by the Versailles Peace Conference
(B)
Hitler’s invasion of Poland
(C)
the impact of the aerial bombardment of a Spanish town by the German Condor Legion during the
Spanish Civil War
(D)
the effect of the Depression on French society
(E)
the fall of France in 1940
Unemployment
(Numbers in thousands & percentage of appropriate work force)
76.
77.
The preceding chart indicates
(A)
that Germany and Britain recovered from the Depression at about the same level and rate
(B)
that Hitler’s Germany reduced unemployment at a remarkable rate during the period from 1936 and 1938
(C)
that Britain was complacent about its double-digit unemployment during the 1930s
(D)
that the German economic system was superior to that of Great Britain
(E)
that the use of the adjective “appropriate” distorts valuable data in order to make Nazi Germany look
better
The following maps indicate changes in the western border of Russia between what years?
(A)
1815 and 1922
(B)
1848 and 1945
(C)
1914 and 1921
(D)
1914 and 1950
(E)
1725 and 1920
78.
79.
80.
Article 231 of the Versailles Treaty
(A)
is known as the “War Guilt” clause and established Germany’s responsibility for the war
(B)
established the new nation of Poland
(C)
denounced all secret treaties
(D)
established the League of Nations
(E)
resulted in the decentralization of Germany
The Russian blockade of Berlin in 1948–1949 was a reaction to
(A)
the
merging
Germany
of
(B)
the Truman Doctrine
(C)
the Marshall Plan
(D)
the formation of NATO
(E)
the Chinese revolution
the
British,
French,
and
American
zones
West Germany recovered during the 1950s and early 1960s under the political leadership of
(A)
Willy Brandt
(B)
Konrad Adenauer
(C)
Heinrich Brüning
(D)
Alfred Hugenberg
(E)
Erich Honecker
STOP
This is the end of Section I.
If time still remains, you may check your work only in this section.
Do not begin Section II until instructed to do so.
into
West
Section II
PART A – DOCUMENT-BASED ESSAY
TIME:
Reading Period—15 minutes
Writing Time: 45 minutes
1 Essay Question
DIRECTIONS: Read both the document-based essay question
in Part A and the choices in Parts B and C during the
r e a d i n g
p e r i o d .
U s e
t h e
t i m e
t o
organize answers. You must answer Part A (the document based essay question) and choose ONE question from Part B
and ONE question from Part C to answer.
This question is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. As you analyze each document,
take into account its source and the point of view of the author. Write an essay on the following topic that integrates
your analysis of the documents. You may refer to historical facts and developments not mentioned in the
documents.
Analyze the rivalry between Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone that dominated English politics from
the late 1860s to 1880.
Historical Background: During the late 1860s the political rivalry between the conservative Benjamin Disraeli
and the liberal Gladstone blossomed and continued until Disraeli’s death in 1881. This period witnessed the
extension of the franchise, a wide range of domestic legislation, and a debate on imperialism.
Document 1
“Hoity-Toity”
Document 2
Letter from Queen Victoria to William Gladstone —May 6, 1870
…The circumstances respecting the Bill to give women the same position as men with respect to Parliamentary
franchise gives her an opportunity to observe that she had for some time past wished to call Mr. Gladstone’s
attention to the mad & utterly demoralizing movement of the present day to place women in the same position as to
professions—as men;—& amongst others, in the Medical Line ….
The Queen is a woman herself—& knows what an anomaly her own position is:—but that can be reconciled with
reason & propriety tho’ it is a terribly difficult & trying one. But to tear away all the barriers w h surround a woman, &
to propose that they shld study with men—things wh cld not be named before them—certainly not in a mixed
audience—whd be to introduce a total disregard of what must be considered as belonging to the rules & principles of
morality.
The Queen feels so strongly upon his dangerous & unchristian & unnatural cry & movement of “women’s
rights,”—in wh she knows Mr. Gladstone agrees; (as he sent her that excellent Pamphlet by a Lady) that she is most
anxious that Mr. Gladstone & others shld take some steps to check this alarming danger & to make whatever use
they can of her name.
She sends the letters wh speak for themselves.
Let woman be what God intended; a helpmate for a man—but with totally different duties & vocations.
Document 3
“The Conservative Programme”
Document 4
“The Colossus of the World”
Document 5
“On the Dizzy Brink”
Document 6
“A Bad Example”
STOP
This is the end of Section II, Part A.
If time still remains, you may check your work only in this section.
Do not begin Section II, Part B until instructed to do so.
PART B – Essay Question
TIME:
35 minutes
1 Essay Question
DIRECTIONS: Answer ONE question from the three questions
below. Choose the question that you are most prepared to
answer thoroughly. You should spend about 5 minutes
organizing or outlining your answer.
1.
Analyze and compare the motivations for the wars of Louis XIV and Napoleon.
2.
Analyze and compare causes for the rise of fascism in Germany and Italy.
3.
The Stuarts have been held partly accountable for the decline of monarchical power in Great Britain. Analyze the
justification for such a position.
STOP
This is the end of Section II, Part B.
If time still remains, you may check your work only in this section.
Do not begin Section II, Part C until instructed to do so.
PART C – Essay Question
TIME:
35 minutes
1 Essay Question
DIRECTIONS: Answer ONE question from the three questions
below. Choose the question that you are most prepared to
answer thoroughly. You should spend about 5 minutes
organizing or outlining your answer.
4.
Discuss and analyze the ideological legacy of the French Revolution of 1789.
5.
At
the
Paris
Peace
Conference,
Germany
was
forced
to
acknowledge
for the World War I. Discuss and analyze the situations that led to the outbreak of the war.
its
guilt
6.
Assess the extent to which the overseas empires had an impact upon European economic and political life from
1870 to 1914.
END OF EXAM
Answer Key
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
(D)
(A)
(D)
(C)
(C)
(C)
(A)
(E)
(C)
(D)
(C)
(B)
(C)
(B)
(C)
(B)
(C)
(E)
(C)
(B)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(B)
(D)
(B)
(E)
(A)
(B)
(E)
(D)
(C)
(C)
(D)
(D)
(B)
(C)
(A)
(B)
(E)
(D)
(E)
(A)
(B)
(E)
(D)
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
(C)
(A)
(B)
(A)
(B)
(E)
(B)
(E)
(B)
(B)
(D)
(B)
(A)
(B)
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
(D)
(C)
(C)
(B)
(E)
(B)
(D)
(C)
(D)
(A)
(A)
(C)
(C)
(A)
(C)
(B)
(C)
(A)
(A)
(B)
PRACTICE EXAM 1
AP European History
Detailed Explanations of Answers
Section I
1.
(D)
Renaissance Humanism was a threat to the Church because it (D) emphasized a return to the original sources of
Christianity—the Bible and the writings of the Fathers of the Church. In that light, humanists tended to ignore or
denounce the proceedings of Church councils and pontiffs during the Middle Ages. While many Renaissance
humanists
denounced scholasticism, there was no inherent opposition to it, and many retained support of the late Medieval philosophy. Renaissance Humanism did not espouse atheism, nor did it advance an amoral philosophy; it tended to
advance a neo-Platonism through the writings of such individuals as Pico della Mirandola and Marsilio Ficino.
2.
(A)
Erasmus of Rotterdam was the author of (A) The Praise of Folly, which was a criticism of the ambitions of the
clergy. The Birth of Venus (B) was a painting by Rafael. More was the author of Utopia (C); Machiavelli wrote (D)
The Prince; and Cervantes was the author of Don Quixote.
3.
(D)
Few Northern Humanists (exceptions: Melanchthon and Reuchlin) approved of the Reformation: Erasmus
criticized
laxness
in
the
Catholic
Church
but
refused
to
join
Protestant
reformers.
Northern
or
Christian
Humanism
used
studies
of
ancient
languages to make Scriptures available in local languages and to produce good scholarly versions of the writings of
the Church Fathers. Northern humanists acknowledged the Church’s use of the Vulgate Latin Bible, mainly with the
uneducated, but they themselves tried to study and use only the best Greek and Latin in their translations.
4.
(C)
Each
of
the
three
major
Protestant
groups—Lutheran,
Calvinist,
and
Anabaptist—
relied in major ways on particular social elements. Although Lutheranism drew support from a broad social
spectrum, Luther himself was forced to rely on sympathetic nobles of the Holy Roman Empire in order to defend
Lutheranism against the Holy Roman Emperor. Calvinism held special appeal for the new middle class, particularly
business elements. Anabaptism drew most of its membership from the peasantry in western Germany and the Low
Countries.
5.
(C)
At the Colloquy of Marburg in 1529, Luther and Zwingli failed to concur on the nature of the Eucharist and the
concept of predestination; this led to the fragmentation of Protestantism. (A) is incorrect because the Catholic
strategy was centered on the establishment of new religious orders and the reforms of the Council of Trent. Luther
was declared an outlaw by Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521. Charles V’s attempts to reconcile Luther with the
Church were confined to debates that occurred prior to 1521. Thomas Wolsey’s fall from power as Henry VIII’s
adviser was not related to the Colloquy, but stemmed from the divorce crisis.
6.
(C)
English Puritanism developed during the reign of Elizabeth I because of dissatisfaction with the scope and
breadth of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement among exiles and others who were influenced by Calvinist views.
Obviously, (A) is incorrect because the Council of Trent advanced Catholic doctrines; Elizabeth I was interested in
consolidating, not extending, Protestantism in England (B); the Jesuit Mission (D) occurred in 1580 and was not
related to Puritanism; Puritanism (E) opposed the earlier forms of worship, whether Roman Catholic or Henrician.
7.
(A)
The response of the Catholic Church to the Reformation was delayed because the Papacy feared remnants of
the Conciliar Movement, which had been evident at the Councils of Constance, Basel, and Florence. This
movement, based in Roman Catholic tradition, asserted that authority within the Church resided in the assembly of
bishops; it challenged Petrine Supremacy and the authority of the Papacy. Rome (B) had little interest in
coordinating its policy with secular leaders, although the early support of Charles V and Henry VIII was well
received. By the 1530s, most intelligent Church leaders did not (C) think that Protestantism would self-destruct or
that (D) the situation was not serious. The monetary situation of the Church (E) was not relevant to its taking a
position against Protestantism.
8.
(E)
The Counter-Reformation did not include (E) a willingness to negotiate nondoctrinal issues with reformers;
indeed, the Catholic Church considered all confrontational issues to be doctrinal. The Council of Trent (B) was
convened in three sessions from 1545 to 1563 and reaffirmed traditional Catholic doctrines; new religious orders (D)
such as the Jesuits appeared; the Papacy (C) became more assertive through its issuing of the Index of Prohibited
Books in 1558–1559.
9.
(C)
The
Petition
of
Right
addressed
perceived
constitutional
abuses
related
to
the
proceedings of the Court of the Star Chamber, a ship tax, and the quartering of
British troops in private dwellings; upon its acceptance by Charles I, additional sources of
revenue were provided to alleviate the financial crisis caused by unsuccessful wars against Spain and France. (A) is
incorrect because it refers to James I, who died in 1625; (B) is false because Parliament did not vote on
Buckingham’s execution—he was murdered in l628; (D) Charles I’s religious policies cannot be labeled radical—
they were reactionary and led to the charge that Charles I was sympathetic to Catholicism; (E) the Addled
Parliament convened in 1614 and was not connected with the Petition of Right.
10. (D)
Descartes argued that God was essential as Guarantor of the laws of the universe. Descartes discovered
coordinate or analytical geometry, developed the science of optics, used “cogito ergo sum” as his starting place, and
believed in a dualism between the physical and spiritual worlds, separate but linked.
11. (C)
The Edict of Nantes of 1598, issued by Henry IV, allowed French Huguenots to practice their religion and fortify some
cities. The Edict of Fontainebleau (B), issued by Louis XIV in 1685, revoked the Edict of Nantes. The Edict of Potsdam
(A),
issued
by
Elector
Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia in 1686, invited French Protestants fleeing France to settle in his lands. The
Papacy (D) opposed the Edict of Nantes and all agreements that tolerated Protestant groups in Catholic countries. The
Peace of Amiens (E) was a treaty of 1802 involving Napoleon.
12. (B)
Francis Bacon advanced empiricism in the early seventeenth century. (A) While Galileo accomplished much in
science,
his
emphasis
was
more
on
math
as
the
new
language of science, not a philosophy. Descartes’s Discourse on Method (1637) develops a mathematically oriented
type of deduction; Baruch Spinoza’s (D) contributions occurred later, in mathematics and ethics. In addition to
formulating his law on gas and temperature, Robert Boyle (E) was a chemist who did much to discredit alchemy during
the second half of the seventeenth century.
13. (C)
France and Ottoman Turkey. Austria was attacked twice, between 1660 and 1685, by the Ottoman Turks and
confronted during the same time by wars with France. (A) and (E) are incorrect because Italy did not exist at that time.
(B) is incorrect because England was allied with Austria, and Russia was undergoing political crises not resolved until
Peter the Great seized power and reformed the government. (D) is incorrect because Prussia did not oppose Austria
until 1740.
14. (B)
Beginning with terminology (Fronde), this question asks for an analysis of these periodic revolts by the nobility of
France.
A
phenomenon
of
the
sixteenth
and
seventeenth centuries, they were regarded as threats to royal authority by monarchical ministers Mazarin and
Richelieu, who suppressed them ruthlessly. Most revolts ended when Louis XIV involved the most powerful
members of the old nobility in sterile and useless ceremonial lives at his palace of Versailles.
15. (C)
The Peace of Utrecht terminated the wars of Louis XIV, restoring peace to Europe.
(A) and (B) are incorrect because France, though defeated, was still the most powerful nation in Europe. (D) is incorrect
because Canada was not transferred to England until the Treaty of Paris in 1763. (E) is incorrect because the Peace of
Utrecht was unrelated to the unification of Germany, which occurred in 1871.
16. (B)
A moderate proposal that called on France to adopt a political system similar to that of Great Britain was an
element espoused by Montesquieu in (B) The Spirit of the Laws. The Social Contract (A) was written by Jean
Jacques Rousseau; The Encyclopedia (C) was by Denis Diderot; The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the
Citizen (D) was produced by the National Assembly in August 1789; and John Locke wrote Two
Treatises on Civil Government.
17. (C)
Hobbes’s warlike state of nature accords well with Calvin’s theology of sinfulness. Calvin’s Institutes has a
political agenda, namely a belief in establishing a “City of God” on earth; and the strict rules of Geneva prove this.
Rousseau (A) and Locke (E) are more sanguine about human nature; Condorcet (B) was the apostle of progress,
and likewise optimistic. Montesquieu (D) was firmly against absolutist government as practiced by Calvin and
theorized by Hobbes; likewise, Locke’s ideal of constitutional monarchy is not consonant with Hobbes’s absolutism.
18. (E)
Mercantilism was an economic philosophy identified with “bullionism” and the need to maintain a favorable balance
of trade. Utopian Socialism (A) was an early nineteenth-century philosophy that emphasized the need for a more
equitable distribution of wealth; (B) Marxism and (D) Syndicalism were leftist approaches to economics and politics.
(C) Capitalism was the developing condition in which Mercantilism operated.
19. (C)
The liberum veto (C) restricted the national and political development of Poland. Under this peculiar law, any
member of the Polish Diet could dissolve the assembly by using his veto; this provision led to a highly decentralized
Poland that was exploited by Austria, Russia, and Prussia during the eighteenth century. The liberum veto had
nothing to do with (A) Britain, (B) France, (D) Peter the Great’s Westernization of Russia, or (E) Mazzini’s Roman
Republic.
20. (B)
Hobbes’s Leviathan described early human society (the “state of nature”) as an anarchic “war of all against all.”
For self-protection, citizens agreed to form the first government, an agreement termed by Hobbes the “social
contract.” It is important to read the quotation carefully, since two of the answers (B) and (C) are from the
Leviathan; you may be misled into choosing (C) because you have studied it in a class, and “social contract” sounds
familiar. The concept of natural rights, incorporated into the French Declaration of the Rights of Man, was
summarized by John Locke as the idea that human beings are born “free, equal, and independent.” “Reason of
state” was the justification used by French statesmen such as Cardinal Richelieu to defend measures to create a
centralized absolute monarchy in France. Answer (E), nationalism, is not only incorrect but also irrelevant to this
question.
21. (B)
In Emile Rousseau (B) called for a “natural” education free of the artificial encumbrances imposed by institutions
such as the Church. His view on the Social Contract (A) was advanced separately; Rousseau did not (C) denounce
Voltaire for his lifestyle; nor did Rousseau in Emile identify with (D) Montesquieu’s sympathy for the English
constitutional monarchy. Since the concept of God was essential to Rousseau’s thought, he did not advance a case
for atheism (E).
22. (C)
In 1789 these statements were part of (C) the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen passed by the
National Assembly in France. The English Bill of Rights (1689) was a consequence of the Glorious Revolution when
William and Mary came to power. The Constitution of the Year III (1795) established the Directory in France; it was
a government that was advised by experts or intellectuals. In What Is the Third Estate? (1788) the Abbé Sieyès
maintained that the Third Estate of the Estates-General was in fact a “National Assembly” and representative of the
national sovereign power.
23. (D)
The drawing represents (D) Lavoisier’s Apparatus for the Decomposition of Air. The Leyden Jar (A) was a means
of storing electricity and was used by Benjamin Franklin (E) in his kite experiment. While Stephen Gray did make
contributions to the science of electricity (B) and the erroneous Phlogiston theory (C) was toppled during this period,
they were not related to the illustration.
24. (B)
The picture is of the spinning jenny invented by James Hargreaves.
25. (D)
English Utilitarianism was identified with the phrase (D) “the greatest good for the greatest number.” Jeremy
Bentham, James Mill, and John Stuart Mill were prominent Utilitarians. “All power to the people” and “From each according to his labor, to each according to his need” (B) were elements in Lenin’s rhetoric. “Universal reason” (C) is
identified with Georg Wilhelm Hegel; and “collectivist nationalism” is associated with Johann Fichte.
26. (B)
In
January
1848—only
weeks
prior
to
the
outbreak
of
the
February
revolution
in
Paris—Alexis de Tocqueville addressed the Chamber of Deputies. In the remarks quoted, Tocqueville addressed
the concerns of French liberals—the need to open the political system to the people and the urgency of the
economic
crisis
caused
by
a
misdistribution of wealth. Tocqueville did not (A) address the United States Senate in 1838, (C) the court of
Napoleon III in 1870, (D) the Peers of the Third Republic in 1875, or (E) the court-martial of Dreyfus in 1894.
27. (E)
Among
the
achievements
(some
short-lived)
of
the
Jacobins
were
(A)
abolishing
slavery, (B) giving the franchise to all adult males, (C) adopting the metric system, and (D) decreeing the law of the
maximum, which fixed prices on essentials and raised wages. The Jacobins did not succeed in the (E) distribution of
all land among the peasants.
28. (A)
The map indicates the thesis advanced by H. Mackinder in 1904 that (A) the continental part of Eurasia forms the
world’s heartland and constitutes a potential threat to sea powers. Mackinder and other geopoliticians influenced
policy makers during this period; later, during the 1930s, Mackinder abandoned his thesis because of technological
and economic trends. (D) A consequence of Mackinder’s thesis may have been that sea powers must dominate
land powers through containment; such a conclusion would have been supported by (C) the American strategist
Alfred Mahan, who wrote The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660–1783. Mackinder did not contend that (B)
only a combined Anglo-American-Russian alliance could prevent German world domination or that (E) the Southern
Hemisphere is as significant as the Northern.
29. (B)
The drawing Neue Typen: Der Rassemensch by Karl Arnold (July 1924) was a critical commentary on (B) the
anti-Semites, who supported Hitler and the emerging Nazi Party. Obviously, (A), (C), (D), and (E) are incorrect responses.
30. (E)
The notion that “civilization was not the product of an artificial, international elite… but of some genuine culture of
the common people, the Volk ” was advanced by (E) Herder in Ideas for a Philosophy of Human History. Herder
influenced
Fichte,
Hegel (B), and other German nationalists and intellectuals. Wordsworth’s (D) Lyrical Ballads did not advance such a
directly political theme; the conservative (A) Chateaubriand emphasized the role of divine intervention and a human
response to religion in The Genius of Christianity. Such sentiments are not reflected in Verdi’s opera Don Carlo.
31. (D)
The Reform Bills of 1832, 1867, and 1884–1885 in Britain were significant milestones in the evolution of
constitutional rights in Britain, mainly through extending the franchise and redistributing seats in Parliament. These
measures eliminated many “rotten boroughs” and provided industrialized cities of the Midlands with parliamentary
representation. Efforts to eliminate child labor abuses were embodied in a series of acts, including the Factory Act of
1833. The influence of the House of Lords was not curtailed until the passage of the Parliament Bill of 1911. The
myriad political, economic, and social ills confronting the Irish were not resolved in the nineteenth century. In 1918
all men over 21 and women over 30 were given the right to vote; women over 21 were enfranchised in 1928.
32. (C)
From the Austrian perspective, the Dual Alliance was directed at Russian—not Italian—encroachment in the
Balkans. The Dual Alliance (1879) was a defensive pact between Austria and Germany that was renewed through
World War I and addressed German concerns over the diplomatic isolation of France and growing anti-German
sentiment.
33. (C)
The Thermidorian Reaction beginning in July 1794 (C) terminated the Reign of Terror with the execution of
Robespierre. The Terror was initiated in June 1793 when radical Jacobins overthrew the Girondins; the National
Assembly was dissolved in 1791 when the Legislative Assembly was formed; Napoleon did not come to power until
the coup d’état of the Eighteenth Brumaire in 1799; Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by vote of the
Convention prior to the seizure of that institution by the radical Jacobins.
34. (D)
The Congress of Vienna concluded the wars of the Napoleonic era. The Peace of Utrecht (1713) ended the War of
the Spanish Succession; the Congress of Berlin (1878) discussed the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878; The Peace of
Westphalia closed the Thirty Years’ War; and the Peace of Paris (1856) ended the Crimean War.
35. (D)
Charles
Fourier,
Robert
Owen,
and
Claude
de
Saint-Simon
can
be
described
as
pre-Marxist
(or
Utopian)
socialists.
Liberals
believed
in
property,
free
trade,
and minimal government intervention. Anarchism was introduced by Proudhon in What Is Property?; Marx and
Engels developed Scientific Socialism; the term revisionists is applied to Marxists who differed with some Marxian
notions.
Socialists
and
anarchists were opposed to both liberalism and capitalism.
36. (B)
Louis Philippe was installed as King of the French as a result of the liberal July Revolution of 1830. While he and
his advisers were “liberal” at the beginning of his reign, they were not democrats (A) and became increasingly
conservative. The July Revolution established a constitutional monarchy, not a republic (D). Louis Napoleon was
elected President of France in 1848 (C). The withdrawal of Prussian troops (E) occurred in 1871, after the FrancoPrussian War.
37. (C)
The map shows the revolutions that shook Europe in 1848. The revolutions of 1820 (A) and 1830 (B) were not as
significant as the revolutions of 1848. 1825 saw the Decembrist Revolt, not a revolution (E). In 1919, revolutions,
often Marxist, occurred in Berlin and other cities in central and eastern Europe.
38. (A)
The Frankfurt Assembly was a Pan-German assembly interested in the formulation of a union of German states;
its representatives were as interested in the kleindeutsch (Small German) solution as the (E) grossdeutsch (Big
German). Bismarck ((B) and (D)) was not in power during the Frankfurt Assembly (1848–1849); the primary
interests of the delegates (C) were political, not economic.
39. (B)
The failure of the Revolutions of 1848 cannot be attributed to the intelligence and cunning of the old leadership in
manipulating the revolutionary forces. Indeed, the old guard proved to be inept when the revolutions broke; there
was a sense of inevitability concerning the revolutions that led to despair and initial compliance with revolutionary
demands. It was only after revolutionary leaders made a series of errors (A), (C), (D), and (E) that the old regime
was able to restore itself to power.
40. (E)
The industrial economy of the nineteenth century was not based upon an equitable distribution of profits among
those
involved
in
production.
Marxists
and
other
critics
of
capitalism
condemned
the
creed
of
capitalists
and
the
abhorrent
conditions
of the industrial proletariat. Raw materials, a constant labor supply, capital, and an expanding marketplace were
critical elements in the development of the industrial economy.
41. (D)
The term laissez-faire is the key: It is a way to signal a belief in free trade—free from government interference or
guild regulations. This was a tenet of Liberalism in the nineteenth century; and by mid-century many factory owners
and businessmen had been sold on free trade. Socialists, of course, tended to advocate government action to
redistribute wealth—anything but ruthless laissez-faire for them!
42. (E)
This question requires that you not only interpret the graph correctly but also use your knowledge of history and
geography. The two most urbanized areas (England and Scotland) are major parts of the British Isles.
43. (A)
Intellectual historians study the role of ideas and intellectuals in history. Do not let the quotation intimidate you;
read the quotation and note what kind of subject matter is involved. For a careful reader, the answer is not difficult.
44. (B)
Jeremy Bentham, who used this slogan to describe utilitarianism, believed that one of the unfinished tasks
remaining from the Enlightenment was the creation of a nonreligious system of morality that would be socially
beneficial.
His
“moral
calculus” sought to create a system that would reward the obedient with pleasure, and criminals with pain. Note that
(A)
is
an
attempt
to
mislead
you;
it
seems
plausible, but is not correct. De Maistre was an early nineteenth-century French conservative writer. Nietzsche
hated British utilitarians. Freud invented other types of “psychic calculus” based on the libido and unconscious
drives.
45. (E)
The impact of the middle class grew throughout the century [thus (A) is false], and its size was greatly expanded
by the Industrial Revolution [thus (B) is false]. Its laissez-faire ideology was the opposite of (C) and, as a product of
the Industrial Revolution, it did not hold its wealth in the form of large amounts of land, as the old nobility did.
46. (D)
Proudhon (D) justified anarchism in What Is Property?. He asserted that change could be realized through education
and
nonviolence.
Godwin’s
(A)
Enquiry
Concerning Social Justice argued for a utopia based upon the perfectibility of individuals. Bakunin (B) was an
anarchist who attacked Marx and his philosophy. Sorel (C) was a founder of anarcho-syndicalism (based on
unions). Fourier (E) was a Utopian Socialist.
47. (C)
Revisionist Marxism encompassed the Fabian Society of Sidney and Beatrice Webb, the German Social
Democratic faction of Eduard Bernstein, and French socialists led by Jean Jaurès. Revisionist Marxism gained a
significant following (A) during the late 19th century; it opposed the Marxist imperative of revolution; Lenin was an
orthodox Marxist who opposed (D) the revisionists; most Asian Marxists did not identify with the revisionist
movement.
48. (A)
The New Economic Plan (NEP) was Lenin’s plan (1921) to revitalize the Russian economy after their Civil War. It
was not (B) a scheme by Trotsky to control the Communist Party, nor (D) Nicholas II’s attempt to recover political
support. Obviously, it was not (C) Gorbachev’s 1989 plan for restructuring the Russian economy, although there are
valid points of comparison between the 1921 and 1989 schemes. Stalin’s economic plan (E) was known as the first
Five-Year Plan; it resulted in a long-term commitment to collectivization and the expansion of Russian heavy industry.
49. (B)
The Congress of Berlin (1878) did not result in the realization of Russian war aims. Russia wanted to establish a
large Bulgarian state, gain access to the Mediterranean Sea, and extend its control in the Black Sea and eastern
Balkans. The small, autonomous principality of Bulgaria (D) was established; Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro
were recognized as independent states (A); Cyprus (C) was transferred to Great Britain; and Austria acquired the
right to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina militarily (E); annexation was won in 1908.
50. (A)
Czar Alexander II (1855–1881) (A) established the zemstvos, assemblies that allowed nobles to influence the
votes of towns and peasants, but also introduced social services. His Emancipation Edict (1861) did not (B) improve
the well-being of the serfs. Alexander II did (C) make improvements in the judiciary, but (D) no sweeping reforms of
the military, only a reduction in years of service and some punishments. He was motivated (E) by fear of the
masses, not by a genuine desire to improve the conditions of the Russian people.
51. (B)
The failure of Wilhelm II to renew the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia eventually led to the isolation of Germany.
Russia was not interested in an (A) isolationist position; the German action contributed to the formation of the (C)
Franco-Russian or Dual Entente of 1894—Austria was allied with Germany. Russia was opposed to (E) an independent Poland because such a development would result in a loss of territory; while the Russian navy expanded
slightly during this period, the Russian economy was not able to (D) support a massive naval building program.
52. (E)
The Russian Revolution of 1905 led Nicholas II to issue the October Manifesto calling for an assembly (the
Duma). It did not (A) result in his abdication (he would resign in March 1917), nor was it (B) suppressed by Nicholas
II. The Orthodox Church (C) did not lose political power; the Revolution of 1905 occurred (D) as Russian forces
were being defeated in the Russo-Japanese war. Defeats in the war provided a cause that sparked the Revolution.
53. (B)
Oscar Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray and Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice embodied a new symbolist direction in
literature that addressed formerly taboo themes such as fantasies relating to perpetual “youth” and homosexuality.
These works and others of this vintage could not be (A) construed as examples of Romantic literature, nor can they
be categorized as examples of a (C) “new” sense of realism in literature or examples (D) of an expressionist literary
movement. Both works were applauded by intellectuals at the time of their publication.
54. (E)
The policies of the Third Republic tended to restrict the influence of the Catholic Church; on occasion, those
policies were downright anticlerical. The (A) Dreyfus Affair, Panama Scandal, and Boulanger Crisis were serious
threats to the Third Republic, which had been established (B) in the midst of French defeat in the Franco-Prussian
War (1870–1871). In the spring of 1871 the Paris Commune (C) threatened the new republic, but the Commune
collapsed. In 1875 (D) a constitution was adopted that formalized the rule of law in the Third Republic.
55. (B)
The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 established the principle that, for a great power to claim an area, it had to
show other powers that it effectively controlled the interior, not just the coast. This Conference, directed at curtailing
the growth of Britain’s Empire, did not (A) say that Britain could control the Niger and Congo rivers, nor did it support
(D) the dream of Cecil Rhodes for a Cape-to-Cairo railroad under British control. Further, the conference (C) turned
the Congo over to Belgium, not Portugal. Italy (E) obtained Libya later (1912).
56. (B)
Bismarck’s Kulturkampf was his “cultural struggle,” in the name of Protestant Germany and using anti-Catholic
laws, to undermine the Center (Catholic) Party. While Bismarck opposed the Marxism (A) of the Social Democratic
Party (D), he used other methods to restrict that party’s influence. The Kulturkampf had nothing to do with
Bismarck’s (C) diplomatic isolation of France. Popes Pius IX and Leo XIII, not Pius X, condemned the Kulturkampf
(E).
57. (D)
The Parliament Act of 1911 did not permit the House of Lords to veto nonrevenue bills effectively. In addition to a
brief delay, in the event of a veto by the Lords, the House of Commons could redraft the measure and transform it
into a revenue bill. The Act did (A) reduce the life span of a Parliament from seven to five years; the House of Lords
(C) had no veto power over revenue bills.
58. (B)
The expansion of the “division of labor” and of “mass production” through standard parts and manufacturing
processes was stimulated by (B) the factory system. While the (A) institution of bank credit and (C) competition were
elements in the development of capitalism, they did not stimulate the division of labor or mass production. (D)
Economic imperialism was a byproduct of the system; (E) political rivalries were not directly related to this
development.
59. (A)
The dominant personality at the Congress of Vienna was Metternich. Alexander (C), Talleyrand (D), and
Wellington (E) attended the Congress, but none of them was considered dominant. (B) Bismarck was to dominate
diplomacy a half century after the close of the Congress of Vienna.
60. (B)
In
1829
the
Ottoman
Turks
were
forced
to
accept
the
Treaty
of
Adrianople,
which (B) recognized the independence of Greece. Bulgarian and Serbian independence (A) and (E) would not be
recognized
until
the
Congress
of
Berlin
in
1878.
The (C) Christian “right of access” to the Holy Places in Palestine was a factor in
the origins of the Crimean War (1854), and Russian access to the Mediterranean (D) was a constant item on the
agenda
of
East
Mediterranean
affairs
until
it
was
realized
in 1967.
61. (D)
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918) was (D) a humiliating agreement that the Russians signed with
Germany. The Treaty of Neuilly (C) concluded hostilities between the Allies and Bulgaria; the Treaty of Trianon (B)
ended the war between the Allies and Hungary; the Treaty of Sèvres (E) ended the war between the Allies and the
Ottoman Empire. There was no formal separate treaty concluding hostilities between Great Britain and Turkey.
62. (C)
The chart indicates only that postwar economies in Central and Eastern Europe were fragile—subject to rapid
deterioration during economic collapse.
63. (C)
Zwingli was a Swiss reformer who served as the religious adviser of the city of Zürich. Although he was inspired
by Luther’s teaching, the two men disagreed on the subject of the Lord’s Supper and were unable to reconcile their
views during a meeting in 1529. Luther believed that Christ is present in the Eucharist, although he denied that the
bread and wine is actually changed into the body and blood of Christ, as the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation
maintained. Luther’s position is known as consubstantiation. Zwingli, however, denied that Christ is substantially
present in the Eucharist, which he believed has merely a symbolic meaning. This theological disagreement
prevented the German and Swiss Protestants from coordinating their efforts. As a Protestant reformer, Zwingli
taught that the pope has no authority to lead the Christian people, and he rejected the Catholic tradition of fasting
during the forty days before Easter known as Lent (A). He also rejected monasticism, and therefore closed down
monasteries (E). For the sake of simplifying Christian worship, he banned both music and religious images (B).
Zwingli converted several of the Swiss cantons besides Zürich, but a civil war broke out between the Protestant
cantons and the cantons that remained Catholic. Serving as a chaplain, Zwingli was killed by the victorious Catholic
forces following the Battle of Kappel in 1531 (D).
64. (B)
The “Rendezvous” (1939) by British cartoonist David Lou refers to contradictions inherent in the Russo-German
Nonaggression
Pact.
It
does
not
refer
to
(D) Czechoslovakia, (E) Finland, or (C) any niceties between Stalin and Hitler, both of whom suspected each other’s
motives and hated each other’s ideologies.
65. (E)
The Glorious Revolution of 1688–1889 did not include an agreement that, in the event of no heirs, the
Hanoverians would succeed the Stuarts. This arrangement was specified in the Act of Succession of 1701, a year
before William III’s death and the succession of Queen Anne, who survived all her children. Upon Queen Anne’s
death in 1714, George I became the first Hanoverian King of England.
66. (B)
The text of Diderot’s Encyclopedia was centered primarily on (B) technology. While history (C) and philosophy (D)
were elements, technological innovations and science were emphasized in this profusely illustrated work. Theology
(A) and poetry (E) were not given much attention.
67. (D)
This poem by the Hungarian-Swiss Tzara is an example of the twentieth-century movement called Dadaism. This
post–World War I literary fad was in reaction to the “order” that led to war and its horrors; though short lived,
Dadaism contributed to surrealism. Symbolism (A) was an earlier movement that is illuminated by Edmund Wilson’s
Axel’s Castle. Expressionism (B) and idealism (E) are terms that relate to many facets of art—literary and other.
Deconstructionism (C) is a term that applies to post-l960 literature and criticism.
68. (C)
The driving force behind Hegel’s dialectic was universal reason—his “God.” Marx identified materialism (D) as the
key historical force. Hegel’s philosophy has been used, and misused, by those who identify with (A) nationalism, (B)
racial superiority, and, to a lesser extent, (E) religious values.
69. (D)
After 1950 the Soviet Union suppressed movements toward more liberalism in East Germany (A), Poland (B),
Czechoslovakia (C), and Hungary (E), but not Yugoslavia (D). Marshall Tito’s Yugoslavia carved out autonomy from
the Soviet Union in the l950s; its more innovative approach to Communism led to a more fluid economic system.
The Soviet Union’s suppression of liberalism in East Germany and Poland (1953), Hungary (1956), and
Czechoslovakia (1968) was violent and followed by the installation of pro-Soviet regimes.
70. (A)
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote such works as (A) Thus Spake Zarathustra and The Will to Power. (B) The Golden
Bough was by Sir James Frazer, an English anthropologist, and The Wild Duck was a play by Henrik Ibsen. (C) The
Return of the Native and Jude the Obscure were novels by Thomas Hardy. (D) Civilization and Its Discontents was
an essay by Sigmund Freud; The Riddle of the Universe was a tract by the biologist Ernst Haeckel. (E) The Descent
of Man was a work by Charles Darwin, and The Weavers was a play by Gerhard Hauptmann.
71. (A)
In the painting The Eternal City, the American painter Peter Blume portrays a (A) fascist Italy that is dominated by
the personality of Mussolini. The painting does not depict (B) how fascism in Italy improved the condition of the people,
(C) Mussolini as a benevolent dictator, (D) a sympathetic rendering of the impact of fascism on Italian life and
institutions, nor does it (E) depict the March on Rome in 1922.
72. (C)
During the “June Days” in Paris (1848) the (C) army suppressed the radical revolutionary element. Workers who
had been supported by the National Workshops (Louis Blanc) opposed the conservative policies of the new
Assembly; they revolted and were suppressed by military units loyal to the government. This situation indicates that
(A) and (B) are incorrect. (D) Louis Napoleon did not come to power until the subsequent elections for the
presidency of the Second French Republic. (E) Lamartine was a poet and republican leader who enjoyed support
during the winter and spring of 1848; thereafter, his influence declined.
73. (C)
In an effort to conduct a successful economic war against Britain, Napoleon created the (C) Continental System.
Its primary goal was the economic isolation of Britain through the closing of European markets to British goods.
Earlier, Napoleon established (A) the Bank of France to consolidate the French economy; the (D)
Napoleonic Code was a codification and reform of French law. The (B) Confederation of the Rhine, supported by
Napoleon, was intended to subordinate German states. The (E) Kingdom of the Two Sicilies appeared earlier.
74. (A)
The 1909 budget proposed by Lloyd George advocated (A) progressive income and inheritance taxes. This liberal
budget was designed to tax those who could afford it—the wealthy—and to raise revenues for defense and
domestic social programs. (B) Property taxes did not cease, nor were there drastic reductions in funding for (C)
domestic programs or (D) weapons. Obviously, the 1909 budget did not specify a (E) redistribution of excessive tax
revenues.
75. (C)
In this painting entitled Guernica (1937), Pablo Picasso portrayed (C) the impact of aerial bombardment on a
Basque town by the German Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. German and Italian military “volunteers”
assisted Franco’s fascist forces in the struggle against the republicans.
76. (B)
This chart indicates (B) that Hitler’s Germany reduced unemployment at a remarkable rate from 1936 to 1938;
fascist economic controls facilitated this change. (A), (C), (D) are incorrect; the German economy was not “superior”
to Britain’s, nor was Britain content with excessive unemployment—though one may criticize the manner in which
the Labour and Conservative parties handled economic recovery, free economies are more difficult to direct than
state-controlled economies. (E) alerts us to a truth about standardized tests: They never use falsifications in data or
graphs without letting students know explicitly that something is wrong.
77. (C)
The maps indicate changes in the western border of Russia between (C) 1914 and 1921. These changes were
associated with developments and decisions which were caused by World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the
rise of nationalism in eastern Europe—the creation of Poland and other new nation-states.
78. (A)
Article 231 of the Versailles Treaty (A) is known as the “War Guilt” clause and
established Germany’s responsibility for the war; the case for reparations was based on the assignment and
acceptance of guilt. While (B) the establishment of Poland, (C) the denunciation of secret diplomacy, and (D) the
establishment of the League of Nations were provided for in other clauses of the treaty, the Versailles agreement did
not (E) result in a decentralized Germany.
79. (A)
The Russian blockade of Berlin in 1948–1949 was a reaction to (A) the unification of the British, French, and
American zones into West Germany. While the (B) Truman Doctrine was directed at preventing communist victories in
Greece and Turkey, and the Marshall Plan (C) was designed to assist in accelerating the economic recovery of
Europe, they were not the direct causes of the blockade. NATO (D) was formed after the blockade began and the
Chinese Communist (E) victory did not occur until October 1949.
80. (B)
West Germany recovered during the 1950s and early 1960s under the leadership of (B) Konrad Adenauer. Willy
Brandt (A) served as Social Democratic Chancellor during the 1960s. Erich Honecker (E) was the Communist leader
of East Germany from 1971 to 1989. Heinrich Brüning was (C) a leader of the Center Party and chancellor of the
Weimar Republic before Hitler. (D) Alfred Hugenberg, a media mogul and member of the Nationalist Party, served
as Minister of Economics in the coalition cabinet headed by Adolf Hitler as Chancellor.
Section II
Sample Answer to Document-Based Question
Between the passage of the Reform Bill of 1867 and the death of Benjamin Disraeli, Disraeli and William
Gladstone were the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal parties, respectively. They were classic rivals who
attacked one another on every possible occasion and who appeared to prosper as a result of the antagonism.
During the early 1870s Gladstone initiated a series of reforms that included the Education Act of 1870, the Ballot Act
of
1872,
and
reforms
of
the
military
and
municipal
governments.
Disraeli characteristically denounced the reforms as absurd or for not going far enough in resolving a particular
problem. In 1872 Disraeli, in his famous “Crystal Palace Speech,” introduced the concept of the New Imperialism;
Disraeli advocated British imperialism and Gladstone emerged as the staunch anti-imperialist.
Punch magazine capitalized on this personal rivalry during the 1870s in scores of cartoons. In its cartoons Punch
sought to attack those people and institutions that took themselves too seriously; no topic or issue—except the
person of Queen Victoria—was immune from ridicule. In “Hoity-Toity” the lingering issue of the Alabama claims
crisis with the United States was held up for scorn. In the second document, the letter from Victoria to Gladstone,
the Queen advances the argument of her class in her opposition to extending the vote to women and in providing
women with an equal opportunity in the professions. In “The Conservative Programme” Punch attacked Disraeli for
being evasive in describing the domestic policies and programs of the Conservative Party. This criticism was
targeted at Disraeli because of the absence of specific Conservative programs; this was especially noticeable when
compared to the apparently endless list of Gladstone’s proposals that was ridiculed in “The Colossus of the World”
in 1879. Disraeli daring was the subject of “On the Dizzy Brink” when the Conservative leader appeared politically
vulnerable in 1878. Within a few months, Disraeli nullified his critics when he emerged as the victor at the Congress
of Berlin (June–July 1878), which settled the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The final cartoon, “A Bad Example,”
was critical of both Disraeli and Gladstone for their personal attacks on one another. In spite of their antagonism,
Britain was well served by its two most distinguished prime ministers of the second half of the nineteenth century.
Sample Answers to Essay Questions
1. For more than 50 years (1660–1715) the policies of Louis XIV dominated Europe. Through the War of
Devolution, the Dutch War, the War of the League of Augsburg, and the War of the Spanish Succession, Louis
attempted to establish personal control over Western and Central Europe. To “the sun king” war was a means to
demonstrate his greatness and acquire a significant place in history. While Napoleon also catered to a vision of the
greatness
of
France,
his
wars
differed
from
those
of
Louis XIV because there was an ideological consideration—the Revolution—that motivated the French to support
Napoleon’s policies. Further, the Napoleonic wars involved a proportionately higher number of “citizens” than did the
military
enterprises
of
Louis XIV.
During the last four decades of the seventeenth century, Louis XIV’s France enjoyed a position of hegemony over
European affairs. The War of Devolution, which was related to property claims in small towns in the Spanish
Netherlands, resulted in the establishment of an alliance, anchored with Great Britain and The Netherlands, against
France. The British and Dutch feared that unless Louis XIV was contained, he would establish such an
overwhelming base of power that he would eliminate the sovereignty of many nations by destroying the European
diplomatic equilibrium. In the Dutch War, the War of the League of Augsburg, and the War of the Spanish
Succession, European powers responded to French aggression through the formation of coalitions. The success of
the coalitions maintained the balance of power and, in the end, not only thwarted Louis XIV’s aspirations but also
demonstrated that France was isolated. States as diverse as Britain, Austria, The Netherlands, and Prussia joined to
preserve their independence. At the Peace of Utrecht in 1713–1714, France was still recognized as the greatest
European power; however, France did not achieve its goals and, defeated in the War of the Spanish Succession,
had to make concessions to the coalition victors.
The Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815) constituted a more serious threat to the European political structure than did the
wars of Louis XIV. Napoleon carried with him the liberal ideology and some reforms of the French Revolution; indeed,
the French revolutionary tradition was viewed as more dangerous than the might of French armies. Upon achieving
victory, Napoleon not only would establish French control over the defeated area, but he would also introduce political
and economic reforms that threatened the basis of the old order’s power. Legal reforms in Spain, economic reforms in
the German states, and other similar developments rendered the Napoleonic Wars much more complex than earlier
struggles. The other nations of Europe responded to French power and the Revolution through resurrecting the
coalition concept, which had prevailed against Louis XIV. From the outbreak of resistance in Spain in 1808 to the
defeat in Russia (1812–1813) and the devastation of French defeat at Waterloo in June 1815, the coalition against
Napoleon succeeded in suppressing this second French attempt to alter the European political system.
In the wars of Louis XIV many of the coalition members were motivated by dynastic considerations; Britain and
The Netherlands were clearly motivated by national values. During the Napoleonic period, the coalition was
generally motivated by nationalism, although dynastic priorities were not absent. In Central and Southern Europe,
nationalism prevailed over the revolutionary tradition; however, in spite of efforts to suppress this tradition, it would
reappear in the Revolutions of 1820, 1830, and 1848.
2. While the development of fascism in Germany and Italy had some parallel or similar experiences, the
causes for the rise of fascism in each were often unique to that nation’s history and structures.
When Adolf Hitler became German Chancellor in January 1933, the fascist party achieved a victory that only a few
years
before
was
considered
beyond
its
reach.
Beginning in 1920 the National Socialists adopted the fascist approach to government, which viewed the state as an
entity in its own right; the state was more important than individuals who resided in it. German fascism was Romantic,
militaristic, highly nationalistic, and imbued with a racist totalitarianism that was fundamentally antidemocratic.
During the 1920s, Hitler and his Nazi Party were considered a radical fringe that never would come to power; the
Weimar
Republic
continued
to
rely
on
the
support
or
acquiescence of Germans until the Depression began to devastate the economy in 1930. Fascist success in
Germany can be attributed to (1) the continuing economic and social crisis caused by the Depression, (2) the
inability of the Weimar Republic to advance a credible policy to alleviate the widespread distress, (3) the
organization of the Nazi Party, (4) the continuing humiliation from defeat in the war, and (5) the charisma of Adolf
Hitler. Through Hitler’s direction, the Nazis gained a significant power base in the Reichstag from which he was able
to demand a place in the new Hindenburg government in 1933. Once in power, Hitler moved quickly to consolidate
his position, passing the Enabling Act and others, which gave him dictatorial powers and purged Germany of his
political enemies. Within two years Hitler had purged or co-opted all power bases opposed to him, including his
toughest sell, conservative army leaders. Mussolini not only took longer to achieve secure power, but often had
different and more widespread problems to deal with.
The rise of fascism in Italy via Benito Mussolini can be attributed to (1) the failure to obtain the expected gains for
Italy’s involvement and sacrifices during World War I, (2) the postwar economic collapse, (3) “1919ism”—the fear of
Bolshevism, (4) the ineptitude of the centrist Italian parties in handling the political and economic crisis that gripped
Italy after the war, and (5) the opportunistic Mussolini. During the war Italians had entertained thoughts that they
would acquire colonies and great power status as a result of their involvement with the Allies; at the Versailles
Conference and in the subsequent treaty it was evident that these goals were not realized. At the same time Britain
and
the
United
States
ceased
making
loans
after
the
armistice;
this
action
resulted in a financial crisis in Italy that was aggravated by the rapid demobilization of the Italian army, high
unemployment, and inflation. “1919ism” was the Italian Red Scare, the fear that the economic crisis would provide
the Bolsheviks with an opportunity to initiate a revolution; this anxiety resulted in polarizing Italian society, with the
wealthy classes identifying with order and the preservation of their own interests. During the chaotic period from
1918 to 1922, the Italian political system proved unable to resolve the crisis; Italian political parties were not able to
overcome their own party factionalism and sustain a durable coalition government. Into this void of leadership
stepped Mussolini, a flamboyant and egocentric demagogue who promised to reestablish order and a sense of
national pride to Italy. Mussolini’s seizure of power—the March on Rome (1922)—was not opposed. Similarly to
Hitler, Mussolini set out, as soon as possible, to undermine parliamentary forms (the rigged Acerbo Law of 1923)
and to sideline socialist and communist opponents (e.g., the murder of Socialist leader Matteotti in June 1924). But
in two major instances, Mussolini had, if not different problems, then those problems to a different degree.
In Mussolini’s consolidation of power one sees two basic differences with the later German case: the power of
religious identity in Italy, and its economic backwardness. The keystone of Mussolini’s consolidation of power was
his wooing of the disaffected Vatican, sealed by the compromising Lateran Accords of 1929, in which Mussolini and
the Pope gave each other what they most needed. Getting the majority Catholics on his side was far more important
to Mussolini than Hitler’s easier co-optation of Protestants and Catholics in Germany. Second, Germany, despite the
Depression, had perhaps the best economic and industrial infrastructure in Europe, second only to the United
States, so Hitler’s plans to get industrialists on his side and gear up the German economy for war were more solidly
based; indeed, Nazi Germany emerged with breath-taking speed from the Depression, several years before the
United States did. Italy was, on the contrary, still relatively backward: agrarian in the main, little infrastructure, and
only moderately industrialized in the North. Mussolini’s economic policies—the ambition to be self-sufficient, grabs
for overseas land, and his medieval “corporatism” to reorganize industry and labor—had only limited success,
compared with Nazi Germany.
3. When James I assumed the throne upon the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, the monarchy in Britain was a
strong executive position that was restricted by the English constitutional concept of the “King in Parliament.” By the
time that Queen Anne—the last Stuart—died in 1714, the alignment of English domestic political power had shifted.
While there were many factors that led to this alteration, the Stuart monarchs contributed to this erosion of
monarchical power through inept leadership and policies that did not consider the English historical tradition nor the
forces that were current during the seventeenth century.
James I (1603–1625) alienated Parliament by asserting his support for royal absolutism and the “Divine Right of
Kings.”
During
his
reign,
James
convened
few
Parliaments, and those that were held were confrontational—the Addled Parliament of 1614 is a good example.
Further, James I did not address the continuing religious crisis that centered on Puritanism; the Hampton Court Conference reinforced the Anglican status quo and led to a loss of support for James among the Puritans. James I’s
personal life did not enhance his public reputation; his purported bisexuality, his awkward physical appearance, and
his Scots accent rendered him “unkingly” to many. Charles I (1625–1649) succeeded his father and found himself
involved with unsuccessful and costly foreign enterprises in Spain and France; in 1628, the King’s favorite, the Duke
of Buckingham, was assassinated and Charles I was forced to convene a Parliament for funds to pay his debts
caused by the foreign wars. Parliament forced Charles to sign the Petition of Rights, which was an statement of
grievances; Charles pledged not to improperly collect the ships’ tax, not to abuse the use of martial law as it related to
the public billeting of troops, and to respect the writ of habeas corpus. After Parliament provided the funds, Charles I
decided to rule without a Parliament—from 1629 to 1640 no Parliament sat. During this period Charles I and his aid,
Archbishop William Laud, attempted to suppress Puritanism throughout the country. In 1637 Charles I and Laud
extended this policy in Scotland; the Scottish reaction led to war and, reluctantly, in the spring of 1640, Charles I
summoned what became known as the Short Parliament—it lasted for only three weeks. The suppressed
Parliamentary and Puritan forces demanded that Charles I meet their demands before they would grant funds to raise
an army; Charles I dissolved the Short Parliament. With the Scottish problem becoming more acute, Charles
summoned the “Long” Parliament in the fall of 1640—it sat for years. Between 1640 and 1660, English politics were
in
a
state
of
flux;
the
English
Civil
War,
the
execution
of
Charles I, the establishment of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate, and the Restoration of the Stuarts in the
person of Charles II transpired during those decades. The Parliament was strengthened and the monarchy weakened
as a result of these developments. The monarchy that was restored in 1660 was a modified and restricted executive
force.
In 1688 and 1689 another constitutional crisis gripped the nation. James II, a Catholic, had a male heir and
baptized the child a Catholic. Faced with the likelihood of a series of Catholic monarchs over a Protestant nation,
Tory and Whig politicians in Parliament arranged for William and Mary to replace James II, who fled the nation. This
Glorious Revolution was formalized with the Bill of Rights in April 1689, which stipulated that the Parliament, through
its control of finances, was the dominant force in English politics. The monarch was still very significant and
exercised considerable power; however, the power enjoyed by the great Tudor monarchs, Henry VIII and Elizabeth
I, would not be seen again.
4. Any attempt to reflect upon the ideological legacy of the French Revolution of 1789 must be preceded by a
brief review of the intellectual forces that impacted on the Revolution and the ideology that was manifested during
the Revolution. The Revolution that broke in France in 1789 and continued for the next decade was ideologically
motivated by the political and philosophic concepts that were advanced during the Enlightenment—the Age of
Reason. While many varying sentiments emerged during the eighteenth century, there was a common ideological
basis: Eighteenth-century intellectuals were interested in developing a rationally based human society that was free
from the assumptions of the past and that would advance human progress.
During the Revolution itself, there was a great debate over how to realize these goals. This debate, which
continued long after the revolutions were suppressed, was one of the major ideological legacies of the French
Revolution—an open and public dialogue on issues of concern. It anticipated an environment that fostered
intellectual activity; the anti-intellectualism of the past would be replaced. During the nineteenth century attempts
were made to curtail the freedom of speech through varying forms of censorship; the July Ordinances and the later
actions of François Guizot in the 1840s were examples of this censorship. Freedom of speech or debate was the
underlying component of the radical philosophic tradition that emerged from the French Revolution. Another major
factor that endured was the revision of the notion of humanity that developed during the revolutionary period. The
thoughts of Rousseau, Montesquieu, and others and the historic experience of the Revolution influenced Marx,
Proudhon, and John Stuart Mill in the nineteenth century as well as Sartre, Freud, and others in the twentieth
century as they attempted to develop an understanding of humanity and the individual. The notion of the role and
rights of “the people” were altered; the last vestiges of the medieval order were struggling to survive. Related to the
changing concept of “the people” was a broadening of the idea of the “nation.” Further, no longer would humans be
viewed primarily in a religious context; humankind was to be examined and measured within a political, economic, or
social context.
Finally, any consideration of the ideological legacy must include comments on the “cult of progress.” While J. B.
Bury and others have considered this issue, the impact of the concept of progress as a consequence of the French
Revolution must be revised continually. Further, the interrelationship of “progress” with other developments, such as
racism, democracy, and totalitarianism, makes any discussion problematic. The French Revolution of 1789 initiated
a global revolutionary tradition that was not limited to France or Europe.
5. While
Germany
was
forced
to
agree
with
the
infamous
War
Guilt
clause
(Article 231) of the Versailles Treaty, the outbreak of the World War I involved many diverse factors that render any
assignment of specific national guilt a rather futile undertaking. The immediate circumstances that led to the
outbreak of the war were focused on the diplomatic crisis of the summer of 1914; the Austrians, with German
support, reacted to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by directing an ultimatum at Serbia, which was
supported by Russia. The alliance systems were deployed and the war was underway by early August.
The causes that led to this situation were (l) the polarization of Europe into two armed camps, (2) imperialism,
and (3) militarism and the arms race. Since Bismarck’s dismissal in 1890, the European diplomatic situation had become more complex; by 1907, it was clear that two separate and opposing groups of nations existed. In 1890
Germany failed to renew the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia; within four years, the Russians entered into the Dual
Entente with France, which terminated the key element in Bismarck’s foreign policy, the diplomatic isolation of
France. During the late 1890s Germany rebuffed British overtures for an alliance; this rejection resulted in the British
entering into the Anglo-Japanese alliance (1902), the Entente Cordiale (1904), and the Anglo-Russian Entente
(1907). While these arrangements did not obligate Britain to any direct military action in the event of war, they did
affiliate Britain with the French-oriented diplomatic system. This affiliation was evident during the Algeçiras
Conference in 1906. Germany and Austria-Hungary were isolated.
Imperialistic rivalries contributed to an increasingly hostile environment among the European powers. From the
Fashoda Crisis of 1898–1899 to the First and Second Moroccan Crises and the Balkan conflicts, the European
powers found themselves in conflict with one another—frequently over areas that were unrelated to their national
security or interests. This conflicting environment was exacerbated by the growing influence of the military within
European governments. A sense of the “inevitability” of war led the great powers to develop war plans such as the
German Schlieffen (1905) and the French Plan XVII (1912). These developments implied that a military resolution to
a crisis was acceptable; there was dissatisfaction with the “indecisive” nature of diplomatic settlements. Further
aggravating this militarism was the impact of technology on weaponry. During the two decades immediately prior to
the outbreak of the war, improvements and innovations in weapons were revolutionary. The development of new
classes of capital ships with enhanced ranges and armament, the revolution in artillery, and innovations in field
weapons (such as the machine gun) and in the quality of repeating rifles resulted in an arms race that directed funds
away from domestic needs.
In
the
summer
of
1914
the
mediation
efforts
that
had
worked
on
previous
occasions failed, and Europe stumbled into a war for which it had longed prepared. While Germany must be faulted
for William II’s “Blank Check” to the Austrians, most of the major powers were responsible for contributing to a
situation in which a general war was acceptable. The causes for this war and, in many incidents, most wars are to
be found in the mentality of the age, which permits nations to adopt confrontational policies and procedures.
6. From Disraeli’s call for a “New Imperialism” in the early 1870s to 1914, the European powers participated in
the most reckless and active era of colonial expansion. Bolstered by economic need, aspects of social Darwinism,
and the zealousness of militant Christianity and European nationalism, the European powers participated in the
“Scramble for Africa,” for a position in China, and for Pacific islands. Considerable resources were expended in the
acquisition and maintenance of these colonial empires; the consequences of imperialism resulted in national and
domestic political rivalries and mixed economic results.
From
the
perspective
of
the
impact
of
imperialism
on
the
relations
between
nation-states, one can divide this era into two periods: before and after the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885. This
meeting established the principle that any claim to a territory had to be supported by occupation of the whole
territory in question and notification of other powers; this was intended to regulate colonial claims and to limit the
expansion of the British Empire. Throughout the era, imperialism resulted in conflicts between European powers: the
Afghan wars, the Fashoda crisis, the Venezuelan dispute, the Boer War, the Moroccan Crises, and the Libyan crisis
illustrate the extent and frequency of these conflicts. Further, imperialism emerged as a domestic political issue in
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium. In England, Disraeli and his Conservative Party supported imperial
expansion and involved the nation in a series of colonial wars, including the Ashanti and Zulu wars. Disraeli’s liberal
rival, William Gladstone, rejected imperialism but found that it was extremely difficult to maintain his anti-imperialist
position during his four tenures as Prime Minister, due to international and national political factors. Thus, Gladstone
found himself dispatching General Charles Gordon to the Sudan and then sending an expeditionary force to rescue
him. Within England the Fabian Society was consistently anti-imperialist until the Boer War, when the Fabians were
factionalized over British involvement in South Africa. In Germany and France, liberal and socialist political parties
opposed imperialist policies advanced by the rightist and conservative governments and parties.
European economic life was stimulated by the increased trade that resulted from imperialism
and the establishment of colonies. Not only did the European powers acquire new sources of
raw materials, but also—and more importantly in most instances—they acquired new markets
in which they could distribute their finished goods. Domestic industries that provided
transport or products associated with transport and new settlements profited from the expansion. At the same time, imperial activities diverted capital away from domestic investments
and programs; some contend that the Western European economies possessed excess
capital during this period that could not be absorbed by the domestic economies. Another
negative economic factor was the continuing costs associated with the administration and
defense of colonies; this involved human as well as financial resources. It appears that the
immediate economic impact was positive but that the long-term result was negative. It should
also be noted that the economic gains during the early decades of this period resulted in
deferring consideration of domestic economic problems that affected the working classes.
AP European History